One of the most widespread world religionsis Christianity, preaching faith in Jesus Christ - the Savior of all those who are offended and thirsting for justice. However, in the course of historical events, Christianity broke up into three currents: Orthodoxy, Catholicism and Protestantism.
What do Orthodox Christians believe?
The Orthodox people are people who believe in God the Father, God the Son and the Holy Spirit.
For them, God is one, but is embodied in this Trinity. The main postulates of Orthodoxy are:
The belief that Jesus Christ has two natures at the same time — human and divine.
Faith in the atoning sacrifice that Jesus brought for the salvation of mankind.
Belief in the afterlife and in the fact that everyone will be rewarded on his merit after death.
Belief in a mysterious power, called Divine Grace, which is sent to people from above for liberation from sin.
Belief in the existence of angels and demons.
The main shrine is the Bible, which is honored by the Orthodox people.
This book, which consists of the Old and New Testaments, reflects the basic Christian ideas and instructs the believers on the true path.
Foundations of Orthodox society
Orthodoxy was most widespread among the Slavic peoples.
Adherents of this trend in Christianity (literally referring to "correct teaching / judgment") adhere to ancient customs and traditions that clearly reflect their worldview.
Thanks to Christian foundations, significant holidays such as Christmas, Baptism, and Easter have appeared in the life of the Orthodox.
Orthodox people are people who sacredly honor family values and traditions. In particular, before Christmas, believers keep a long post. It ends on January 6th - Christmas Eve.
On this day, you can not eat before the rise of the first star. Traditionally, after the evening divine service, the family gathers at a festive table, where they break fast with kutyoy (sochy).
Major holidays in Orthodoxy
Christmas is the birthday of God the Son- Jesus Christ, who came to the world as the Messiah, Savior. Thanks to Jesus, people gained faith and received hope of mercy, kindness, truth, and eternal life, of which Christ spoke in his sermons. According to the Julian calendar, this holiday is celebrated on January 7, while Catholics celebrate the birth of Christ on December 25.
On this day, carols go to their homes, praising the birth of Christ and wishing health and prosperity to all the households.
Another significant holiday that celebratesThe Orthodox people are Baptism, which marks the baptism of Jesus, who at the time was 30 years old. The ceremony was performed by John the Forerunner in the Jordan River and symbolized the purification of the soul and body of man from sins.
On the eve of the holiday in temples and churches spendwater blessing ceremony. It is believed that after this rite, water acquires miraculous properties that can heal the sick and also have a destructive effect on the evil force. By tradition, the Epiphany water is stored in the house for a whole year, until the next holiday consecration.
The baptism of Jesus Christ was the beginning of the tradition of the baptism of children, which became one of the sacraments of the Orthodox Church.
The main Christian holiday isResurrection of Christ - Easter. It is dedicated to the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. This day is celebrated with a special celebration: hours-long services are held; Believers cook Easter, bake cakes, paint eggs, which are consecrated after the end of worship.
Orthodox traditions of the Russian people wereincluding faith in the salvation of the soul, cleansing it from sins for doing good deeds. Therefore, at Easter, parishioners sacrificed for the benefit of the church and the needy, especially many.
The influence of religion on society
Orthodox peoples of Russia make upa significant proportion of the total population of the country. Nevertheless, they get along well with representatives of other religions, for example, Muslims, Catholics, Buddhists.
An important fact is the fact that the Russian Orthodox Church is the largest of its kind.
Her influence is quite noticeable in all matters.human life and state. And yet in our time it is not as great as before. Thus, the church greatly influenced the work of many prominent writers and composers: A.S. Pushkin, F.M.Dostoevsky, N.V.Gogol, P.I. Tchaikovsky, M.P. Mussorgsky, A.P. Borodin The Orthodox people are very kind to the works of these outstanding people. Their significance for the culture and life of believers is enormous, as is the observance of the customs and traditions of their ancestors.
